The Villa Romana Hotel, Baguio, Philippines, was the venue for a meeting of a small group of individuals gathered together in the common aim of helping manifest a peaceful, non-violent world.
An essential element in this grouping is the links between Nature and People. These links have become dis-equilibrated with distressing consequences for nature on the one hand seen in the nowadays rampant environmental destruction and in the short and long term the effects of this on the quality of human life.
“We affirm the light of consciousness within all Beings; we commit to create lasting peace on earth; we intend to live and act on behalf of all life; we free the Human Spirit for Deep Creativity; we advance the mission of a harmonious human civilization. May Peace Prevail on Earth!” from, The Voices of Peace from Our Children, as they announced what is called the Fuji Declaration..
“Is this not the best time to start building a way of life that will have a positive influence on the lives of the next generation? Shall we not pass along to them a world filled with bright hopes for the future? Whether we do this or not depends on the choices that we make at this present moment.”
They prayed for real harmony between humanity and nature, moved to indigenous chants, and the space created rang out with a song called “colours of the wind.”
Participant Genevieve Balance Kupang – the lead organizer/convener of that Symphony of Peace Prayers group, who belongs to the Kankanaey tribe of the Cordillers: “We were truly blessed of the gift of presence of our beloved and esteemed multi-awarded Baguio-born artist Kidlat Tahimik. He spoke of his name “quiet lightning” which spells silence. He said silence is an essential element of PEACE.
“He went on to say that in order to attain peace we need to live out the real essence of the term kapwa; the term he expressed is not only limited to the relationship of a person with a fellow human being, but in the indigenous tradition, he said that kapwa extends beyond the human person; kapwa includes our relationship and harmony with other beings in the cosmos. He spoke of respect towards other beings in our environment which includes animals and plants, that thrive in the land and seas, but with the unseen beings as well.”
Statement: “Creator of All, we rejoice in your sacred presence among us and within us. Divine Oneness, we celebrate the goodness, the beauty, the talents and the spirituality of all these brothers and sisters of ours. Thanks for the gift of gongs, dance, chants, music and movement that revitalize and rekindle our longing for unity and love.”
The issues are all about indigenous concerns, talking to various groups, especially about Earth Care and the protection of the Ancestral Domains.
